Classroom Guidelines

If you prefer to be guided by others in applying fair use, there
are classroom guidelines that are considered a "safe harbor" and
are recognized by Congress as "…a reasonable interpretation of the
minimum standards of fair use". They are not a legal standard of
fair use but it is believed that they could greatly reduce the risk
of litigation although this has yet to be tried in court.
Never-the-less many schools, college and universities use these as
a model for their respective copyright policies.

Classroom Guidelines

I. Single Copying for Teachers

A single copy may be made of any of the following by or for a
teacher at his or her individual request for his or her scholarly
research or use in teaching or preparation to teach a class:

A. A chapter from a book;

B. An article from a periodical or newspaper;

C. A short story, short essay or short poem, whether or not from
a collective work;

D. A chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon or picture from a
book, periodical, or newspaper;

II. Multiple Copies for Classroom Use

Multiple copies (not to exceed in any event more than one copy
per pupil in a course) may be made by or for the teacher giving the
course for classroom use or discussion; provided that:

A. The copying meets the tests of brevity and spontaneity as
defined below; and,

B. Meets the cumulative effect test as defined below; and,

C. Each copy includes a notice of copyright.

Definitions

Brevity

(i) Poetry: (a) A complete poem if less than 250 words and if
printed on not more than two pages or, (b) from a longer poem, an
excerpt of not more than 250 words.

(ii) Prose: (a) Either a complete article, story or essay of
less than 2,500 words, or (b) an excerpt from any prose work of not
more than 1,000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is less, but in
any event a minimum of 500 words.

[Each of the numerical limits stated in "i" and "ii" above may
be expanded to permit the completion of an unfinished line of a
poem or of an unfinished prose paragraph.]

(iii) Illustration: One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon
or picture per book or per periodical issue.

(iv) "Special" works: Certain works in poetry, prose or in
"poetic prose" which often combine language with illustrations and
which are intended sometimes for children and at other times for a
more general audience fall short of 2,500 words in their entirety.
Paragraph "ii" above notwithstanding, such "special works" may not
be reproduced in their entirety; however, an excerpt comprising not
more than two of the published pages of such special work and
containing not more than 10% of the words found in the text
thereof, may be reproduced.

Spontaneity

(i) The copying is at the instance and inspiration of the
individual teacher, and

(ii) The inspiration and decision to use the work and the moment
of its use for maximum teaching effectiveness are so close in time
that it would be unreasonable to expect a timely reply to a request
for permission.

Cumulative Effect

(i) The copying of the material is for only one course in the
school in which the copies are made.

(ii) Not more than one short poem, article, story, essay or two
excerpts may be copied from the same author, nor more than three
from the same collective work or periodical volume during one class
term.

(iii) There shall not be more than nine instances of such
multiple copying for one course during one class term.

[The limitations stated in "ii" and "iii" above shall not apply
to current news periodicals and newspapers and current news
sections of other periodicals.]

III. Prohibitions as to I and II Above

Notwithstanding any of the above, the following shall be
prohibited:

(A) Copying shall not be used to create or to replace or
substitute for anthologies, compilations or collective works. Such
replacement or substitution may occur whether copies of various
works or excerpts therefrom are accumulated or reproduced and used
separately.

(B) There shall be no copying of or from works intended to be
"consumable" in the course of study or teaching. These include
workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and test booklets and
answer sheets and like consumable material.

(C) Copying shall not:

(a) substitute for the purchase of books, publishers' reprints
or periodicals;

(b) be directed by higher authority;

(c) be repeated with respect to the same item by the same
teacher from term to term.

(D) No charge shall be made to the student beyond the actual
cost of the photocopying.